Dream it, build it, live it and join us at Imagine Cup 2013 in St. Petersburg

The world’s premier student technology competition, Imagine Cup,is off and running! New competitions for 2013 are open, taking our first steps towards St. Petersburg, Russia, where the Cup will culminate in the Worldwide Finals in July, 2013. This year’s formula will be slightly different:

- a series of BE webcasts are coming up to give you some more ideas on what you could build

- a local final mid-April to ensure the best Belgian teams have a guaranteed place at WW Finals

- big prizes to win in both local finals (where an additional criterion is submitted app) and WW Finals

- special categories will be announced on the way, so when innovation/citizenship or gaming might sound too general know, realize that new categories will come up (cfr. Coca-Cola’s Sustainability and Health care award last year)

If you can dream it, build it, and live it you might just win it!

New Competitions:

· World Citizenship: Make an app that could change someone’s life. Pick your cause: the environment, education, health, you name it. Use technology as an agent of change.

· Games: Put a smile on the face of the world. Make the next great game and see people playing it all around you on console, PC, phone, slate – wherever people play games.

· Innovation: Reinvent social networks. Transform online shopping. Experience music in a new way. Do something amazing with GPS. It’s time to take that crazy idea of yours and ship it!

Challenges:

· The Windows 8 App Challenge will test a team’s ability to design and build a Windows Store app that takes advantage of Windows 8 features and design principles to deliver an exceptional experience on the platform.

· The Windows Phone Challenge is seeking the best apps that feature startling functionality and device-focused utility, combined with a delightful Windows Phone user experience.

· The Windows Azure Challenge is about getting your team started on the “next big thing” by leveraging Azure platform features to build a great web application.

We also have the biggest prizes in the history of the Imagine Cup to go with them.

For each competition, we'll award:

· First Place: $50,000 (USD)

· Second Place: $10,000 (USD)

· Third Place: $5,000 (USD)

And each challenge:

· First Place: $10,000 (USD)

· Second Place: $5,000 (USD)

· Third Place: $3,000 (USD)

Plus every finalist team and their mentor will also get a free trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, to compete in the Worldwide Finals!

Imagine Cup is more than building your app: it is a fantastic learning experience in both technical and communication skills.

Follow the latest news on our Facebook page and on Twitter – as more information will be announced soon!